Woodhill HT 30.01.2011

Travelled up to Woodhill on the Friday night with dire weather forecasts....Although it rained all night, we were spared from riding in the wet.

Saturday, we had drawn a rather late dressage being the last horse to go in the training, and indeed found ourselves the only rider on the sand at all, with just the odd rail sounding of those last few doing their show jumping.



Sampson found the whole thing rather exciting, with people up on the hill walking the XC proving a worthwhile distraction. He had actually warmed up ok and I had worked through the skedaddles, only to find there were still three riders to go at our allotted time. By the time he went, I think he was rather over it....and he proceeded to overbend and do his own thing right through the dressage...a dig in the ribs by the spur did produce a leap and a bound, and somewhat better listening skills however.

A little disappointed with his dressage, but absolutely wrapt that I (almost) held it together and did get through it.

We ended up doing our SJ at some time after 5.00; the poor judge having to wait for us. A quick pop over the warm up jump and into the ring we went.

I was thrilled with how he went, particularly given the deep going, which was good experience for him. He found it a little difficult to focus on the double given the mud and splatters, but he went, even though it came down. We also incurred plenty of time faults, although many others were in the same boat. Still it's all experience.

SUNDAY

Yay; Cross country day, and the wee boy definitely knew what was coming. He was very fidgety and produced many splatter poos. Warm up was rather yukkkk....he was quite skedaddly, but Wendy helped me work through it.

However, once on our way, he was wonderful. Jumped everything without question, apart from needing a few reminders not to back off the water jump. He did start off just a little too keen, so the first five jumps I was reminding him to mind his manners, after which he was quite happy to just toddle along.

I think he is pretty fit too, he was certainly not tired after the finish (in fact still spooking at everything), and I couldnt even hear his breathing....or was it that I was breathing so loud I drowned out his!

Thrilled with the ride he gave me.
Another training Horse Trial completed with no stops.
YAY

Waerenga HT 5th Dec 2010

Very hard, and somewhat rough ground for all phases.

He was a little silly warming up for dressage, but settled relatively quickly and was quite focussed when our turn came - although the coffee expresso machine at the entry end of the arena did unsettle him somewhat, but he kept it together.

All in all a good test, with just a few glitches, which in all honesty were more rider errors than anything.

5 x 8's, 5 x 7's, and some 5's and 6's, so very pleasing. He scored 8's at all paces, so not like I have a specific thing to work on, just accuracy and preparation.

64.5% to finish in 12th after dressage, just 5% off 2nd place.

He was DREADFUL warming up for SJ, just wouldnt focus, skedaddles, napping and lots of taking off with head in the air. I gave up in the end and just stood quietly near the ring entrance.

However, once in, and through the flags he did focus and gave me a lovely round. Just one rail which to be honest seemed a small moment where he lost concentration.

4flts

Onto the cross country, and although he was still spooking all the way to the start, he warmed up quite happily. Popped over #1 and on to #2....umm unfortunately it took a lot of time and encouragement (the old reins in one hand whip in the other) to get him through the small river crossing - he was genuinely scared, despite my having spent some time the evening before getting him into the river.

However, in terms of the course as a whole, he was absolutely wonderful. I went WAY faster, and I am sure would have gotten the time if not for the problems getting through the river crossing (he jumped the second one!).

Did all the quick routes, including the bounce where he was incredibly athletic and quick, straight over the corner, and just jumped everything I pointed him at. He didn't pull or get strong at all, just stayed in the same rhythm right the way round. I simply had to sit up a few strides before a fence and he just kind of brought his hocks under him...it was a lovely feeling.

He did have a wee look at the water jump, but never stopped going forwards, so with time he will gain confidence with water jumps.

The only jump that wasnt quite so nice was the palisade. He jumped the preceding jump beautifully and I probably rode him too forward to the palisade (in case he backed off the ditch)...however, he did not back off it AT ALL, and consequently did a silly little hop over it.

Good to know he doesnt seem concerned about palisades!

He finished the course happily, not even puffing, and indeed continued to spook at everything on the way back to the truck like he'd been for a trot around the paddock.

Without the time flts XC, and in spite of the rail, he would have been placed.

All in all however, thrilled with how he went in all three phases, and especially happy with how he (and I) felt going XC.

Just seems too long till our next start now!

A Scott lesson 22.11.10

Time to again drag out the brave pants, given Andrew's tendency to build rather large jumps during lessons - although having said that, it is what I was looking forward to, and seeing how Sampson and I coped.

I shared my lesson with another rider, funnily enough also on an Anziyan (which I picked as soon as I saw him) - very pretty horse.

Sampson went very well, given he had been on his worst behaviour the preceding day and scared me...in actual fact, he was dead quiet. Of course this led to me being reminded to keep his engine going coming into the jumps!

But, I was also advised not to try to protect him: that he need to learn also to back himself off when needed.


Basically Sampson just popped over everything happily, and I will admit to being a little disappointed that although we did a few at about the 1.05 mark, in general they seemed very small.

Although, isnt it GREAT to be leaving a lesson wishing the jumps had been higher, rather than scaring oneself silly cos they looked too big.

Have already put my name down for his next visit up here, and asked to be in a group jumping slightly bigger (but not huge please!), and a day of XC too. Can't wait!

6/7 November 2010 - My Turn :)

OK Brave pants packed, and I remembered to put them on!

He was a bit wound up warming up for dressage, but it was a relatively small area and very busy. Spent most of my time trying to avoid everyone else, and hoping that we wouldnt collide with the inevitable skedaddles. But we survived. I actually enjoyed having 'more horse' and some natural 'life', rather than having to bully him along as I do at home.

Unfortunately on our way to the arena he kept putting his foot Under the tape instead of stepping over it, but we got there. Bit spooky down that end, cars passing above us, horses appearing and jumps, and people walking the XC...apart from one wee skedaddle whilst going around the outside of arena he coped.

It wasnt too bad a test, although I have to admit to being very disappointed with his score. Oh well, we at least completed it with no major dramas; hopefully the judge will mark us better next time. Interesting that the judge was the same one that judged my very first dressage test on 17.11.1974
!

Onto the show jumping: He warmed up quietly and sensibly and in we went. He was absolutely lovely, just toddled around jumping everything nicely. Was super pleased, especially when the commentator said it was a "lovely clear round" :)

Cross country, and I'll admit I was very worried given I had been warned that he would be far too strong for me XC.
He was a little full of it warming up, and pretty keen to run off after the practice jump, but he did behave himself.

I took him very quietly, just cantering over the first couple, then (eeek) trotting down the hill (for fear he would get away on me and get too strong). A few spooky times between some of the early jumps where he was googling at the people, trucks, ambo etc, but he just kept toddling along behind the bit and popping over whatever I pointed him at.

After the water (at which I got the dreaded "E" - not because we failed to jump, but because stupid jockey jumped out over the wrong jump), I pushed his stride out a little and he felt even better, the jumps came up lovely and he was really listening.

Absolutely thrilled with him.
I realise that not every outing is going to go as well, but I am so glad I got to feel how he can go, so I know what I am aiming at.

Yay: bring on the next start!
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SJ Leamington 31.10.2010

Yay! I actually did a competition on the big pony.

Joined in with an adult riding club day yesterday on him, and he was very well behaved. Didnt even skedaddle when we were all trotting around in a circle, even though one or two others did the whole bucky, bouncy thing. And a couple of people commented on how quiet and relaxed he was (people who didnt know him). So very proud of him. He then went awesome and jumped everything asked of him - we had a XC play.

Today, I took the two boys to Leamington for the SJ.

I even got straight on him at the truck without leading him around first!

Yes, he did some pretty big skedaddles while warming up, but for some reason I was fine with it (maybe because some others were having far more 'interesting' rides than I was, so my boy seemed easy in comparison?).

I started with the 80 class, and just took one rail. Set out really well, then lost the canter between 2 & 3 so got an odd spot with no impulsion. Then I got it together, and he felt great.

For the 90 class I got my timing a bit wrong, so had to run over, throw on his gear, trot to the warm up, a quick warm up and in.

Again, started off great, then AGAIN! didnt maintain enough canter (to the point of even allowing him to trot), and he took a couple of rails. But I sorted it out, and he (and I) finished great. Really pleased.

And it was great to be able to see it on video cos I could see so clearly the lack of canter in places. Ha ha, and he looked so quiet and sensible :)

Rushed off and got on Willie, another quick warm up and in. Again started great, then YET AGAIN, allowed the canter to fail (interestingly in the same places), but unlike Sampson, Willie stopped. grrrr. He stopped twice.

The judges then kindly allowed me to go back in. I rode far more determinedly, and he went great....apparently I did several lines and cut in front of jumps for the jump off that nobody else had even tried, but then Willie loves doing jump offs and I also get my adrenalin up. It was great fun! So finished there on a good note.

Also nice to get feedback that I see to be beating the tilting habit, and I am sitting in behind them better. Likewise wasn't anxious, and when I cocked it up, I simply fixed up what I was doing wrong rather then letting it get to me. Now just need to maintain the right canter (on both of them), and react quicker and right RIGHT to the jump on Wilson.

Yay; I'm on my way.

Taupo HT 16.10.2010

Having ridden Sampson before leaving (and spent 40 minutes looking for a pulled shoe), we arrived to find Taupo Equestrian Centre basked in sunshine.

After setting up camp, I tacked up Sampson and rode him over to the sand arena to do some schooling. He was a little tense to start, but when he realised that there were water sprinklers going, that was it! He just wanted out of there, and I'm afraid I got a bit defensive.

I got off and spent some time leading him near the sprinklers until he could cope - first time in a long time he has done the passagey skedaddle thing when being led, but he soon calmed down.

I got back on, but I'm afraid I didnt really ride him forward, and we had a couple of skedaddles - probably him taking the mickey. But I did persevere, so that's still progress.

Next morning I tried to lunge him, only to find that was a dead loss. He was quite wound up, and there were plenty of pretty passage movements with his tail stuck up like a flagpole, and going round in circles quite simply, was not high on his agenda.

Eventually I did manage to get him to lunge at trot in both directions, but we must have been at it for about an hour.

It had been mentioned to me that if I was feeling at all tentative about riding him, I was better not to, for the horse's sake. I therefore offered the ride to Frank, who was kind enough to ride him at his first training event.

Funnily enough, the horse walked calmly over to the warm up area and warmed up sweetly - definitely makes a difference when the rider is not anxious or tense. He did a pretty good test, just coming a little behind the vertical at times, which is simply due to the fact that he was a little tired at that stage and couldnt maintain his carriage. All in all very pleasing finishing on 68% and 8th place after dressage.

It was not only the first time Sampson was attempting training, but the first time Frank had jumped him. Over the practice jumps a few times, and into the arena.

He went very quietly and jumped confidently, just being unlucky to have a couple of rails - interestingly enough though, with the two rails, he was still in 10th place going into XC.

It was probably not the smallest of cross country's for a first start, with a skinny, large trakener, and a bounce. Frank gave him a lovely ride, taking him quietly and confidently including going the direct option at the bounce (the majority going the long route, and those attempting the bounce looking somewhat less than pretty).

Sampson looked lovely, and jumped well, only having a wee look at the skinny, and being surprised upon landing after the drop - simply green issues. He did the bounce beautifully, and at the end of the day finished in 9th place. Not bad for a first training start, and having had two SJ rails!
Many thanks to Frank for stepping in at the last minute....hopefully I will maintain my nerve enough to have a go myself next outing!

Te Rapa HT 2-3.10.2010

Sammie's second outing.
He was excellent warming up for dressage, much more relaxed, although got a wee bit tired in his test which results in him coming a little behind the vertical. But overall a lovely test, again ridden beautifully by Wendy.

He scored highly being pipped for the lead by a very good dressage horse, but both of them were quite a way ahead of the rest of the field.

On to the show jumping.
He was a little concerned initially when we led him over, but soon settled, and warmed up well.
Very calm into the ring; indeed not quite focussed on the first jump which cost him a rail, but did a beautiful round. Wendy rode him calmly and in a lovely rhythm and the two of them looked really lovely.
Cross country time.
Again quite settled warming up.
He looked really nice going, and looked to enjoy himself.
Wendy described his round as "gorgeous"...she said he was much softer than at Taupo and came back as soon as she sat up, and just got on with the job. Looked at a couple, but it was simply to suss out the job.

Although he had taken a rail SJ the top two were ahead enough that Sammie had retained second place.

Word came through that the leader had missed a jump, although this was not recorded by the jump judge. The honesty of that competitor meant that Sammie had won his class.

Proud Mummy moment!

Photos thanks to Jan at www.takethemoment

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